Defense Demand Fuels PKE's Q3 Earnings, Stock Up 5%

Shares of Park Aerospace Corp. PKE have risen 4.8% since the company announced its earnings results for the quarter ended Nov. 30, 2025. Over the past month, the stock has shown stronger momentum, climbing 14.2%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, which recorded a modest 1.2% gain during the same period. In contrast, the S&P 500 declined by 0.5% since Park Aerospace's earnings announcement.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Park Aerospace reported earnings per share of 15 cents, which rose from 8 cents, representing an 87.5% year-over-year increase.

Net sales of $17.3 million marked a 20.3% increase from $14.4 million in the same quarter a year ago. This top-line improvement translated into meaningful bottom-line growth, with net earnings nearly doubling to $3 million from $1.6 million in the year-ago period.

Park Aerospace Corp. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Park Aerospace Corp. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Park Aerospace Corp. Quote

Other Key Business Metrics

Gross margin for the third quarter improved notably to 34.1%, up from 26.6% in the prior-year quarter, driven by higher sales volume and improved operational efficiencies. Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses remained relatively stable at 13% of net sales, compared to 13.8% in the prior-year period, indicating better cost discipline despite increased revenues.

Adjusted EBITDA also saw a meaningful rise, climbing to $4.2 million in the third quarter from $2.4 million a year earlier, a gain of 75%.

Management Commentary

Park Aerospace’s management highlighted strong demand in the aerospace sector, especially in defense applications, as a key driver for the improved results. While commercial aviation is still in recovery mode, government and military projects have provided a steady stream of orders. Management also emphasized operational streamlining efforts and their impact on margins, citing improvements in manufacturing throughput and material cost management.

Executives reiterated their strategic focus on serving niche aerospace segments that are often underserved due to size or complexity. Park Aerospace’s proprietary composite technologies, such as SigmaStrut and AlphaStrut, were noted as contributing to higher-margin projects during the quarter.

Factors Influencing Results

The company's performance was largely attributed to a combination of increased order flow, especially in aerospace composites, and the absence of extraordinary charges. Notably, unlike the prior-year nine-month period, which included a $1.1 million pre-tax storm damage charge, no special items were reported in fiscal 2026 to date, providing a clearer picture of core operational strength.

Gross profit improved to $5.9 million from $3.8 million in the prior-year quarter, a 54% increase, due to higher sales and better absorption of fixed costs. Operating income nearly doubled to $3.6 million from $1.9 million, benefiting from both higher revenue and gross margin expansion.

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